NEWS

For the second year in a row, the Hilton Garden Inn went gold for pediatric cancer awareness on Sept. 16. Thanks to the partnership of BP James Oddo, Lois and Richard Nicotra, and Partners in Sound, the hotel – visible from the West Shore Expressway - was lit gold. A short ceremony, including the donors, singer Nicolette mare and Miss New York Jamie Lynn Macchia, led to the countdown that lit up the building.

Last summer, Borough President Oddo received a heartfelt message from a mother of child living with leukemia on Staten Island telling him about the Empire Go Gold Project and asking for help in lighting a structure on Staten Island gold to raise awareness of childhood cancer. He reached out to Lois and Richard Nicotra to ask them to light the Hilton Garden Inn in gold for the cause. Without hesitation, they agreed with the additional support of Massimiliano DiDonna and Partners In Sound.​“When the Hilton Garden Inn is lit gold, it raises awareness about pediatric cancer and sends a message to the children and families battling these diseases that they are not alone and that the whole borough supports them,” Borough President Oddo said.

“Lois and I love the Staten Island community and we're proud to partner with the Borough President and Partners in Sound to make this happen for our neighbors, just as we did last year and in 2010 in Mother Teresa's honor. We recognize that children and their families who are in the fight against childhood cancer need our support. These kids are brave - and we hope lighting the Hilton Garden Inn gold shows them that we're a community and they're not fighting this alone,” noted Richard Nicotra.

“Partners in Sound is pleased to participate again this year,” said DiDonna, who donated the labor and equipment to light the building gold for the important cause.

Above will remain lit each remaining night of September, which has been designated as Empire Go Gold month.